Israel has commenced „a local tactical pause in military activity“ in three parts of Gaza on Sunday.
The Israeli military began limited 10-hour pauses in fighting across three areas of Gaza on Sunday to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid.
„Let me be clear: Israel supports aid for civilians, not for Hamas. The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] will continue to support the flow of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza“, IDF spokesperson BG Effie Defrin told Newsweek in an email Sunday.Why It Matters
Mounting international pressure on Israel to allow aid into Gaza follows a surge in reports and images showing widespread starvation among Palestinians.
Humanitarian aid groups have warned for months that Gaza is nearing famine. Israel, which controls the entry of aid into the enclave, has severely restricted access—tightening constraints even further since the collapse of the last ceasefire in March. From March to mid-May, no aid was allowed into Gaza.
The limited pauses come just days after Israeli forces killed around 100 Palestinians in multiple incidents near the Zikim crossing in northern Gaza as they sought food aid. Israel’s military has said it fired warning shots to distance a crowd „in response to an immediate threat.“What To Know
The Israeli military announced a „tactical pause“ in three regions of Gaza „where the IDF is not operating“: Deir al-Balah, Gaza City, and Muwasi. The cessation of fighting between 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. is to allow humanitarian aid to reach the three areas.
The Israeli military says there will be „designated secure routes“ in place permanently from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. to „enable the safe passage of UN and humanitarian aid organization convoys delivering and distributing food and medicine to the population across Gaza.“
Food airdrops commenced Saturday night, with nearly 25 tons of food and supplies dropped.
